Amusement apparatus.



N0. 838;071. PATENTED DEC. 11, 1906.

- G. P. BEISEL.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 2 sums-51mm 1.

. WITESSES. flfza rk yfifigz g l IN ENTOR,

By I v v A TTORNEYS No. 838,071. 'PATENTED DEG.11,.1906.

0. P. BBISEL, AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 20,1906.

2 BHEETSSHEBT 2.

. WITNESSE I INVENTOR- J A TTORNEYS unrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES P. BEISEL, OF WILKES-BARBIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

To all whom it ind/y concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES P. BEISEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wilkes-Barre, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Amusement Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to amusement devices of that general class known as toboggan slides or switchbacks, wherein a wheeled car is hoisted at the top of an inclined plane and allowed to descend to a low level by gravity, the inclined plane being arranged to form descending grades of different angles, alternating at intervals with rising grades.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a toboggan-slide of substantially elliptical form, having approximately straight sides and curved ends, in which the trackway is provided throughout with alternate rising and descending grades both on the straight portion of the track and on the rounded ends thereof, the principal dips being located on the curves.

A further object of the invention is to provide an arrangement of trackway and cars that will prevent all accidents due to lateral pressure of the car as it rounds curves and also to prevent the car jumping the track.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being under stood that various changes in the form, proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a toboggan-slide constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of one end of the same, the view being in the nature of a diagram. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of a portion of the toboggan-slide, also in the nature of a diagram, and illustrating one of the dips at the curved end of the device. Fig. 4 is atransverse sectional view through a portion of the trackway and one of the cars.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 20,1906. Serial Na 331,355.

Patented ."Dec. 11, 1906.

The toboggan-slide is approximately elliptical in form when viewed in plan, its longer sides being approximately straight and parallel with each other, while the ends are curved on substantially semicircular lines.

The track is supported by frames or trestlework 10, and from the highest point 1.1 the track winds in a substantially helical line around to the lowest point 12, at which the passengenplatform is placed, and the highest and lowest points being connected by an inclined plane 13, up which the loaded cars are drawn bya suitable cable or othermachinery. The track is arranged on alternating ascending and descending grades, and these are continuous throughout the whole of the trackway, the principal dips 15 (shown in Fig. 3) being arranged at the curved end or ends of the track in order to add to the attractiveness of the ride.

The supporting-frame or trestle-work includes pairs of standards 20, the upper portions of which are connected by transverse beams 21, and secured to the beams are vertically-disposed blocks 22, that are braced by small angular beams 23, that are bolted or otherwise secured to the upper ends of the standards 20.

The blocks 22 carry horizontally-disposed tracks 24, on which are iron rails 25, for the reception of the grooved wheels 26 of the car 27, and below the rails 24 are side rails 28, these forming guard-rails that are engaged by small wheels or rollers 29, also supported at the sides of the car, and above the outer edge of each track 24 is an additional guardrail 30, that extends some distance above the axis of rotation of the wheel 26.

The car 27 may be made of any suitable size or shape, but preferably is arranged so as to have a low center of gravity. Extending across the bottom of each car is a strap or bar 38, which is turned upward at the sides of the car and thence is bent outward to form arms 39. To these arms 39 are pivoted yokes 40, in which the wheels 26 are journaled, the construction being preferably somewhat similar to that of an ordinary wheeled caster. Each of the vertical portions of the strap or bar 38 is provided with a pair of spaced arms 41 and 42, which carry a bolt 43, on which the guard-rail 29 is mount ed. In order to prevent the car jumping the track, the arm 42 is bent upward at its outer end, forming a lug 44, which is arranged immediately below the inner lower edge of the track 24 and serves to prevent the car jumping from the track.

I claim 1. In a toboggan-slide, a trackway having approximately straight parallel portions connected by curved portions at the ends, there being clips or depressions at the curved ends, so that the traveling car as it tends to fly outward under the influence of centrifugal force in rounding the curve will also be compelled to traverse the dip.

21' In a toboggan-slide, a supporting-frame, inclined wheel-supporting tracks carried by the frame, guard-rails arranged under the space outward from the inner edges of the wheel-supporting rails, carrying-wheels on the car, and guard members projecting from the car and extending beneath said wheel-supporting rails.

3. In atoboggan-slide, a supporting-frame, and a car, a pair of Wheel-supporting rails carried by the frame, guard-rails arranged under and spaced outward from the inner edges of the wheel-supporting rails, carryingwheels on the car, a bar or strap secured to the car and serving as a support for the wheels, guard-wheels supported by the strap and arranged to engage the guard-rails, and projecting fingers carried by the stra and having a lug extending under the whee -sup porting rails.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto alliXed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

-' CHARLES P. BEISEL.

Witnesses:

H. E. CHAsE, G. W. REYNOLDS. 

